‘Totally irrational’

Donovan Scott MacCaull sentenced to 14 months in jail after standoff

A P.E.I. man who threatened RCMP officers and caused more than $14,000 in damage during a standoff with police in Souris last month was sentenced Friday to 14 months in jail.

In sentencing Donovan Scott MacCaull, Chief Judge Nancy Orr told him he should be thankful he lives in P.E.I. and the situation ended the way it did.

MacCaull, 25, previously pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, uttering a threat, damaging property, theft and two counts of breaching his probation.

Reading from an agreed statement of facts, Crown attorney Nathan Beck told the court about the standoff on May 8 that lasted several hours and saw more than 40 RCMP officers respond to the incident in Souris.

Beck said that before the incident started, MacCaull’s girlfriend had taken his car to Summerside where she was pulled over and the vehicle impounded.

The court heard MacCaull was upset because of how much money he put into the car.

The situation escalated until the police were called with a report that MacCaull had what was described as a shotgun in his girlfriend’s residence.

MacCaull’s girlfriend was not in the building during the standoff, and the weapon turned out to be a longbarrelled pellet gun.

Beck said the RCMP started a perimeter at around 5 p.m. with an initial response of nine officers within the first hour eventually growing to 44, including members of an emergency response team from New Brunswick.

During the standoff, MacCaull, threw items through the building’s windows and exited briefly to tell the police to leave.

Beck said MacCaull also threw a piece of paper outside with “Donovan’s demands” written on it and a list that included a phone, hydromorphone and one gram of cocaine.

The note said that if his demands were met, he would walk out with his hands on his head.

Beck said MacCaull also later made threats to the police, including pointing to one specific officer.

“You’re the easiest to shoot,” MacCaull said.

The court heard that MacCaull did get a phone and talked to a crisis negotiator but later threw it out the window before eventually contacting the police again through web-based phone apps.

By 11:30 p.m., the team from New Brunswick arrived, but the standoff ended a few minutes later after an RCMP officer convinced MacCaull to surrender.

MacCaull threw the pellet gun out a window and exited the building.

MacCaull was also sentenced for an unrelated theft charge from January involving a stolen wallet and the use of the victim’s debit card.

Before hearing his sentence, MacCaull addressed the court, saying he apologized to the RCMP and everyone else involved that night, including his girlfriend.

MacCaull said he was outraged that night for no reason because he was on drugs.

Orr told MacCaull his reaction was “completely and totally irrational” for the situation he was in.

She also said the recent tragedy involving several people who were killed in Nova Scotia amplified the situation.

It could have ended much differently for MacCaull, she said.

Along with the jail time, MacCaull will be on probation for three years after his release, he will be subject to a weapons prohibition and he must provide a DNA sample for the national databank.

Orr also ordered MacCaull to pay more than $14,000 in restitution, almost all of which was for damage he caused during the standoff.